Seeing
the World Through A Teenager's Eyes
By
Erin O'Donnell,
Colorado
After School Network
"Seeing the World through a Teenager's
Eyes" was a forum designed by youth, for youth, and about
youth. School-aged youth from approximately six After School
programs in the Denver metro area participated in the conference
on Saturday, May 14, 2005. Approximately 60 youth, ranging
from age 12 to 17 took part in sessions that included topics such
as: gangs, dating violence, respect, and positive choices.
Participants were also able to enjoy some time outside to play
sports and interact. The conference promoted youth leadership
and was a celebration of The Colorado Trust's five-year (2000-2005),
$11 million After-School Initiative. More information on
this initiative can be found at: www.coloradotrust.org.
Youth
participants of the conference enjoying time for socializing during
lunch.
As
part of the forum, youth enjoyed a dynamic presentation called
"Words Can Heal", performed by a Denver production company
along with local Boys and Girls Club members. The performers
used hip-hop music and dance to discuss bullying and bystanders
with their audience. Youth had the opportunity to express
their feelings and beliefs through an art project which depicts
what it means to "see the world through a teenager's eyes"
and highlighted the positive and negative aspects of life from
the youth's perspective.
A youth
contemplates what to paint to depict what it means to see the
world through a teenager's eyes.
The
conference was conceived by youth from Horace Mann Middle School
in Denver, Colorado who wanted an event/conference that was relevant
and inclusive of them and specifically addressed the issues youth
of color face in their lives. Youth and staff from Horace
Mann Neighborhood Center and Cross Community Coalition planned
the conference with the support of staff from the Colorado Foundation
for Families and Children. In addition, the planning committee
solicited feedback from youth and staff of the various After School
Initiative programs.
The art
piece that participants of the "See the World through a Teenager's
Eyes" completed during the conference.
Funding
from the conference was provided by The Denver Foundation, the
Colorado Foundation for Families and Children, and The Colorado
Trust. The goal was to provide an interactive, enjoyable,
and inspirational conference to engage youth. According
to one youth involved in planning the conference, the youth wanted
the opportunity to "get together and have fun without negative
influences around us."
For
more information contact Erin O'Donnell at ErinO@coloradofoundation.org.
The Colorado
Foundation for Families and Children is the Regional Coordinating
Agency for the Colorado Trust After School Initiative.
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By
Thomas Cordova
Say
you were going on a long journey, one that would take around three
or four years to complete and would have serious consequences
for the rest of your life. Such a journey sounds a bit intimidating
even to the most outgoing people, as dedicating that much of your
life is a sacrifice not many of us can reasonably make. Now imagine
that you had no choice, and this journey was steadily approaching
whether you liked it or not. Individuals would be scrambling for
information, nervously probing for an idea of how things might
work out, or trying to gain the advice of people who may have
already survived a similar predicament. Maybe some of us would
hope to have someone going through it with us as a companion,
or a guide, or both.
Welcome
to the world of an average middle or high school student in Everytown,
USA. Though students may not recognize their own situations
by those terms, the reality of it is not far off. Being a recent
survivor of those journeys through Denver middle and high schools,
and now graduating from a top university, I can reflect back on
how vital it was to have student-peers as resources, providing
an idea of how school life was going to play out. Personally,
I believe having student role-models (though no pre-college student
would ever call a classmate a “role-model”) during high school
was one of the most formative experiences of my life. Being able
to see success in front of you each day, in the form of students
who found the courage to go forward and lead, creates capacity
for success.
This
is the quintessential context for youth leadership for students
who may be unknowing, weary or even scared of the monumental tasks
in front of them. Leadership roles provide another way students
can connect with their education, increasing levels of school
attachment, boosting attendance and paving the way for higher
achievement in the classroom. When students can see kids in their
same situation having positive experiences and achieving at a
high level both inside and outside of the classroom, that's what
facilitates the creation of a positive self-image. Ultimately,
when students recognize their own ability to persevere and succeed,
they can then move forward becoming the model other students can
look to.
For
teachers and youth service providers outside of the classroom,
the development of this empowering self-image is (or should be)
the holy grail of their work. Building a positive self-image and
foundation for kids is an essential step in building strong individuals,
youth leadership, school engagement and academic success, as noted
in the 40
Developmental Assets framework for positive youth development,
as introduced by the Search Institute. Using students who have
succeeded previously gives students a connection to success they
may not have had previously which could make all the difference
for them. Though professionals have the knowledge and training
to best serve our kids, the fact of the matter remains, there
are some things in life better learned through a peer rather than
an adult. I would encourage teachers and service providers who
have programming in place to expand the leadership opportunities
for students, creating avenues for students to take on a bigger
role in their extra-curricular activities. Also, providing opportunities
for students to take part in leadership opportunities or camps,
like the ones offered by the National
Youth Leadership Forum or the Congressional
Youth Leadership Council , will solidify the importance of
youth leadership for kids in a profound and oftentimes life-changing
way.
Sometimes,
making the first step towards something new is undeniably the
hardest. Using the students who have already chosen to make that
step to aide their peers makes perfect sense.
Thomas
Cordova is a recent graduate of the University of Notre Dame and
resides in Denver.
The
opinions expressed in this article does not necessarily represent
those of the National Center for School Engagement.
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